Latest news with #Republican-majority
Yahoo
7 hours ago
- General
- Yahoo
Due process is not limited to citizens, contrary to Nancy Mace's claim
The Trump administration and its supporters could still use a refresher on due process. I previously explained why White House deputy chief of staff for policy Stephen Miller was wrong to suggest the constitutional protection is limited to citizens. Now it appears that Nancy Mace could use that lesson, too. Amid a series of social media posts apparently intended to be provocative, the Republican U.S. representative from South Carolina wrote Tuesday night, 'Due process is for citizens.' The implication being that noncitizens don't get that protection. That's incorrect. The constitutional amendments that provide for due process apply not only to the narrower category of 'citizens' but to the broader category of 'person[s].' Indeed, the Republican-majority Supreme Court recently acknowledged this principle. Approvingly quoting from a prior precedent on the matter, it noted, ''It is well established that the Fifth Amendment entitles aliens to due process of law' in the context of removal proceedings.' So while it's true that due process is for citizens, it's not limited to citizens. Subscribe to the Deadline: Legal Newsletter for expert analysis on the top legal stories of the week, including updates from the Supreme Court and developments in the Trump administration's legal cases. This article was originally published on
Toronto Star
6 days ago
- Business
- Toronto Star
Elon Musk is gone and tariffs are illegal, but it's no time to declare Trump defeated
Elon Musk is leaving the White House and a court has ruled a tranche of American trade tariffs to be illegal. They are two welcome developments, but it's too soon to celebrate that the most offensive elements of Donald Trump's presidency are going … going … gone. The U.S. Commander-in-Chief has shown no signs that he is prepared to fall back into a slow-and-steady pace of government that benefits all and favours none. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW No sign either that he is willing to follow any judge's orders. Opening the White House doors to Musk, the SpaceX and Tesla chief, was only one of the first instances of Trump's enthusiasm for blurring the lines between the spheres of public service and private enterprise. And though the social-media titan has admitted in an interview with tech publication Ars Technica that 'I probably did spend a bit too much time on politics' the giant wrecking ball he set in motion with the President's blessing will not be soon or easily stopped. Likewise, Trump's tariffs. They have roiled markets, cut the legs out from long-standing trade relationships and transformed Washington into a near-permanent episode of Let's Make a Deal. Politics Mark Carney 'welcomes' U.S. court decision that rules Trump's tariffs are 'unjustified' Tonda MacCharles They have resulted in a frightening and sometimes farcical state-of-affairs that carries the risk of recession or economic ruin for U.S.-dependent countries. That's why Wednesday's court ruling that two groups of the trade duties were illegal has received a global welcome, though not yet a sense of complete relief. The U.S. Court of International Trade ruled that Trump's fentanyl-and-migrant tariffs against Canada, Mexico and China violated the law because 'they do not deal with the threats' outlined in the president's executive orders. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The court also ruled that separate 'retaliatory' tariffs against a swath of nations, from Australia to India to Madagascar to Vietnam, 'exceed(ed) any authority granted to the president … to regulate importation by means of tariffs.' The court ruled that this authority, under the law, falls to the U.S. Congress, not the president. Other tariffs on foreign steel, aluminum and cars imports remain in place. The White House response was unflinching: 'It is not for unelected judges to decide how to properly address a national emergency,' a Trump spokesperson said, adding that the President would use 'every lever of executive power' at his disposal. That puts another wrecking ball in motion — this one on a collision course with the courts. It will probably only be decided by the Republican-majority justices of the Supreme Court, who have shown some signs of willingness to put up roadblocks for an administration keen on pushing the bounds of presidential powers. But there are even doubts about Trump's willingness to follow orders from the country's highest court. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Last month, the administration was ordered to facilitate the return of Kilmar Abrego Garcia, a Salvadoran citizen mistakenly deported back to his home country despite an order that he should be protected from threats made by gang members against his family. Abrego Garcia remains in custody, with Trump maintaining that he is a dangerous member of a gang himself, the MS-13, which has been designated as a terrorist organization. So, it is no time for Trump's exhausted and exasperated opposition to take a breather or a victory lap, though there will be temptations. The ambitions of Musk, the intergalactic entrepreneur, were sky high. His accomplishments at the head of the Department of Government Efficiency after 130 days, however, were distinctly terrestrial. A promised US$2 trillion in spending cuts was quickly halved and then halved again. The most recent estimates, posted to the department's website, claim savings of US$175 billion. In that short time, he effectively dismantled USAID, the government's main foreign assistance program, ended programs, and positions and contracts that promoted Diversity, Equity and Inclusion policies. His office has also broken faith with public-sector workers. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW The most glaring example of Musk's tactless approach was a now-famous February email demanding that bureaucrats outline 'what they got done last week.' 'Failure to respond will be taken as a resignation,' he wrote in an explanatory note on X. His approach to the public service may have side-swiped the reputation and stock price of his beloved car company, but it also opened a breach in the wall between the realms of public and private interests. Is it appropriate that a public servant — even if he is the richest man in the world — wear Tesla merchandise to government meetings, as he did the other day when meeting with Tulsi Gabbard, Trump's Director of National Intelligence? Or for Trump and Musk to host a March photo op that turned the White House driveway into a temporary Tesla dealership? Whether it's labelled a conflict of interest or corruption, it's a break with something sacred. And it continues. ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW ARTICLE CONTINUES BELOW Trump drafts cryptocurrency-friendly government policies while, at the same time, pumping the value of his official meme coin. Introduced just a few days before Trump was sworn in for his second term, he promoted it earlier this month by offering crypto investors a meet-the-president dinner that was billed as 'the most exclusive invitation in the world.' It's now the subject of congressional inquiry, described by Democratic Sen. Richard Blumenthal as 'unprecedented, pay-to-play scheme to provide access to the Presidency to the highest bidder.' The shiny crypto coin reflects the ego of a man for whom the professional and the political has always been personal. It started with his family name on branded buildings and golf courses. It continues with his fat-marker signature scrawled at the bottom of presidential executive orders. But those edicts are at risk of turning a presidential administration into an all-powerful imperial court. One that takes inspiration from the phrase attributed to Louis XIV, the Sun King, who believed that the laws in 17th century France were whatever he wanted them and declared them to be. 'l'État c'est moi,' he reputedly told French parliamentarians who dared challenge his will. 'I am the state.'
Epoch Times
25-05-2025
- Politics
- Epoch Times
Key Vote Puts Texas Closer to Displaying Ten Commandments in Classrooms
The Texas Legislature cleared a major vote on May 24 on a measure that would require the state's public school classrooms to display the Ten Commandments. The state's Republican-majority House offered preliminary approval of the measure on Saturday, with a final vote to be held in the next few days. If passed, the bill will go to Gov. Greg Abbot's desk, who has said he would sign it into law. 'The focus of this bill is to look at what is historically important to our nation educationally and judicially,' said state Rep. Candy Noble, a Republican co-sponsor of the bill. Louisiana and Arkansas have passed similar laws, although Louisiana's law has been paused after a federal judge deemed it 'unconstitutional in every application.' The judge in the Louisiana case Those who support displaying the Ten Commandments in classrooms assert they are built into the foundation of the United States' judicial and educational systems and ought to be posted. Detractors argue that the practice would violate the religious freedom of others and cited the Constitution's separation of church and state. Related Stories 5/19/2025 5/9/2025 Recently, the Supreme Court issued a 4–4 vote regarding the fate of a publicly funded Catholic charter school in Oklahoma. The tie vote effectively upheld an Oklahoma court decision that annulled a state charter school board vote to approve St. Isidore of Seville Catholic Virtual School. The institution would have been the nation's first religious charter school. The Texas Legislature also passed a measure that establishes a voluntary period of prayer or time to read a religious text during school hours for both students and staff. The governor is expected to sign the bill. 'We should be encouraging our students to read and study their Bible every day,' Republican state Rep. Brent Money said. 'Our kids in our public schools need prayer, need Bible reading, more now than they ever have.' If passed, Texas's bill would require public schools to display in classrooms a 16-inch-by-20-inch poster or framed image of a particular English translation of the Ten Commandments. There are varying translations and interpretations of the commandments depending on different denominations, faiths, and languages. Democratic lawmakers in Texas were unsuccessful in amending the bill on Saturday to require schools to show other religious texts or offer different translations of the Ten Commandments. The Associated Press contributed to this report.
The Hindu
23-05-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
US govt moves to cut proposed tax on outward remittances to 3.5% from 5%
New Delhi The US government has decided to cut the tax it plans to levy on outward remittances sent to other countries — including India — from the earlier planned 5% to 3.5%. This change was implemented through an amendment to the One Big Beautiful Bill Act passed by the US House of Representatives on Thursday (May 23, 2025). The original version of the Bill, which contained sweeping changes to the US' income tax, healthcare, corporate tax, and national debt level regulations, had proposed a 5% excise tax on remittance transfers which would be paid by the sender. Now, the US House of Representatives, while passing the Bill, also approved a list of amendments to it. Among these was one relating to the rate of excise duty on remittances, saying 'strike '5 pe rcent' and insert '3.5 per cent''. The Bill will now have to be passed by the Republican-majority Senate in the US before it becomes law. The Hindu has learnt that the Indian government has not yet made any estimation of what impact such a tax would have on inward remittances. Reserve Bank of India data shows the US is the largest source of remittances to India, accounting for 27.7% or $32.9 billion of the remittances that flowed into the country in 2023-24. 'A tax on remittances would certainly dent the remittances coming into India,' a government official told The Hindu. 'But the government has not yet made an assessment of what that dent will be.' The official also added that India has also not yet taken a call on whether to approach the US for some relief in the matter or not. According to tax experts, the impact could be quite significant on Indians living in the US, and could push some of the remittances they send to India to the grey or even black market. In the short term, however, it may lead to a spike in such remittances. 'On outward remittance from US to India, for Indians who are green card holders or H1b/other visa holders living in the US, these groups will be subject to an extra 3.5% tax on remittances over and above the income taxes they may have paid,' Lloyd Pinto, Partner - US Tax at Grant Thornton Bharat explained. 'In the short term we expect remittances to India to spike before the effective date of Jan 1, 2026,' Mr. Pinto added. 'We may also see a shift of some remittances from formal to informal channels.'
The Market Online
22-05-2025
- Business
- The Market Online
@ the Bell: American tax reform advances, TSX wavers
Canada's main stock index staggered out of the gate on Thursday, following the narrow approval of President Donald Trump's tax reform bill by the US House of Representatives. The TSX recovered some ground by close thanks to financial and tech gains. Investors reacted to concerns that the newly passed US legislation could significantly increase the national deficit. The yield on the 30-year US Treasury bond rose to its highest level since October 2023 as the bill moved forward to the Senate. On Wednesday, Canadian Finance Minister François-Philippe Champagne reported a productive meeting with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, noting that both sides were encouraged by the progress being made. This development comes after President Trump and Prime Minister Mark Carney agreed earlier this month to begin formal discussions on redefining bilateral relations. The Republican-majority House passed a comprehensive tax and spending package that would implement much of Trump's policy agenda. However, investors expressed concern that the bill could add approximately US$3.8 trillion to the US federal debt, which currently stands at US$36.2 trillion, over the next 10 years. The Canadian dollar traded for 72.10 cents US compared to 71.89 cents US on Wednesday. US crude futures traded $0.39 lower at US$61.18 a barrel, and the Brent contract lost $0.53 to US$64.38 a barrel. The price of gold was down US$19.49 to US$3,294.87. In world markets, the Nikkei was down 313.11 points to ¥36,985.87, the Hang Seng was down 283.47 points to HK$23,544.31, the FTSE was down 47.20 points to ₤8,739.26, and the DAX was down 123.23 points to €23,999.17. The material provided in this article is for information only and should not be treated as investment advice. For full disclaimer information, please click here.
